Mustang News Staff Report
[follow id = “CPMustangSports”]
Junior second baseman Mark Mathias was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the third round of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft Tuesday, while junior first baseman/designated hitter Brian Mundell was taken by the Colorado Rockies in round seven.
Mathias, the eighth-highest Cal Poly selection all-time, is a two-time All-Big West Conference first team selection and the 93rd player taken in this year’s draft. In his sophomore campaign he sported a .386 batting average, adding a pair of home runs and 37 RBI from the leadoff spot.
After playing with USA Baseball’s Collegiate Nation Team over the summer, Mathias required surgery to repair his labrum. Despite missing the first seven games of the season, he led the team in numerous categories, including multi-hit games with 24. Cal Poly went 1-6 in the first seven games without Mathias. When he returned to the lineup, the Mustangs went 26-20, finishing the season winning 17 of their last 26 and staying in contention for the Big West title down to the last few weeks.
Mathias finished his junior year hitting .356 with seven doubles, three triples, one home run and 28 RBI.
Mundell — the 197th overall pick — cemented his role in the heart of the Cal Poly lineup over the past few seasons. The slugger is just outside the top five all-time on the program’s career home run list with 20. He finished his junior campaign with a .282 average, 11 doubles, a triple, five home runs and 34 RBI.
After being used exclusively as a designated hitter in his first two years as a Mustang, Mundell saw time at first base in 14 games this year before being slotted back into his normal role.
After two days, 10 rounds of the draft have been completed. The final 30 rounds will take place tomorrow, June 10.